1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rain gutters for houses or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to rain gutters having structure to prevent blocking of the gutters by foreign materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rain gutters, commonly installed along the lower edges of a sloping roof under the eaves to catch water draining from the roof, frequently become clogged with leaves, paper scraps and the like, carried to the roof by wind or gravity and washed into the gutter. This debris fills and clogs the gutters, causing water to overflow, and plugs downspouts, producing overflow of the gutter and downspout system.
Many devices have been proposed to overcome this problem, such as perforated plates and screens, designed to collect and divert leaves and debris before they are carried into the gutters and the downspout system. Leaves often become caught and embedded in the perforations and openings of such, structures, however, and must be removed by hand to prevent clogging. Also, such systems add substantial expense to the gutter and downspout system. The use of rigid open-cell foam within the gutter is known. Known rigid foam systems either require a special gutter shape, provide inadequate drainage, or are of a complex shape making them expensive to make and install. They may be subject to clogging with pollen or dust.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0046876 A1, Published Mar. 13, 2003, for Edward A Higgenbotham, describes a self-cleaning gutter shield made of sheet or extruded plastic which is placed over the upward opening of a gutter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,132, issued Dec. 17, 1974, to Dugan describes a gutter designed to hold a reticulated, porous polyurethane foam, one embodiment having spacers between the foam and the bottom wall of the gutter to allow flow to the downspout.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,686, issued Jun. 27, 1989, to Rees, describes a filter attachment fitting over a gutter and having an elongated screen, the underside of which has a clamped pad of fiberglass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,514, issued Aug. 21, 1990, to Weller, describes a rain gutter liner which is made of flexible foam such as reticulated polyurethane which has a relatively complex shape and is preferably folded on the job site to fit a particular rain gutter configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,501, issued Apr. 14, 1992, to Hunt, describes a trilateral gutter guard of metal mesh which fits inside the rain gutter below its supports.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,591, issued Sep. 7, 1993, to Beechert et al, describes a filter or screen system which fits into a conventional rain gutter and which are made of flexible, resilient, durable corrosion resistant strands of material such as high-density polyethylene.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,027, issued Jan. 21, 1997, to Vail describes a gutter protector which is made of a flexible sheet which is curved over to fit within a rain gutter. A filter element is fitted under the apex area of the sheet with drain holes leading through the sheet and the filter to the interior of the gutter.
Swiss Patent No. CH661312, Published Jul. 15, 1987, describes a rainwater gutter having an open-cell foam material shaped such as to cover the open upper side of the gutter and defining a channel between the foam material and the bottom of the gutter for passing rainwater, the cells being of a small size so as to provide clean water.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a gutter foam filter solving the aforementioned problems is desired.